Sources said Erman, who was coach Mark Jackson's second assistant, would record coaches' meetings, meetings between the coaches and players, and informal discussions among coaches that took place in the team's coaches room — all without the participants' knowledge.

"He was taping everything," one source said. "Taping pregame speeches wouldn't have been that bad, but he was taping guys just sitting around talking in the coaches' office."

Sometimes Erman would be present during the tapings. Other times, he would leave the room and leave his phone behind to record conversations the other coaches were having.

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It's not clear what Erman's purpose was, but ESPN's source heavily hints that Erman was sharing the recordings with upper management. This would gel with reports that head coach Mark Jackson is at loggerheads with his bosses, Myers and owner Joe Lacob, on both his contract status and the way he runs the team. (A week before Erman's dismissal, Jackson demoted another assistant, Brian Scalabrine. Scalabrine was reported to be a favorite of the front office.)